2 ms·

Where exactly is the science that says all races and sexes are not equal? Sure there are different traits, but those don't speak to equality.

nzi 8y ago
If there are different traits they can't be equal. Whether they should be equal in rights, for example, that's a different matter. But races and sexes are different, mentally and physically.
- Just_Smith 8y ago
  Difference and equality are not mutually exclusive concepts, because "equality" is based on what you're measuring. A chicken sandwich and a burger are "different" but "equal" in value. Two markets in the company I work for may be geographically and demographically "different", but they could be "equal" in their revenue. The only way two people who are "different" would not be equal would be if you're measuring specific traits alone, and not the holistic value of the person. Which, for me, raises the question of what traits you think are "better" than others. Do I even want to know?
- ben_w 8y ago
  Which is smarter, someone with a degree in physics or someone with a degree in biology? Right now, the concepts we have of “intelligence” are not sufficiently rigorous to for a meaningful discussion on interracial differences — how much of “common sense” is culture, for example? How true is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? Test scores for Asian woman can be noticeably modified if you tell the participants it’s “to test if Asians are better than westerners at maths” versus “to test if men are better than women at maths”, how much effect does that observation have on any historical results? That’s not to say “there are no genetic influences on intelligence” — there must be, otherwise bacteria would be as smart as humans — but rather that large scale groups of humans are so close that we don’t have sufficient evidence to support treating them as different.

nzi 8y ago

If there are different traits they can't be equal. Whether they should be equal in rights, for example, that's a different matter. But races and sexes are different, mentally and physically.

Just_Smith 8y ago
Difference and equality are not mutually exclusive concepts, because "equality" is based on what you're measuring. A chicken sandwich and a burger are "different" but "equal" in value. Two markets in the company I work for may be geographically and demographically "different", but they could be "equal" in their revenue. The only way two people who are "different" would not be equal would be if you're measuring specific traits alone, and not the holistic value of the person. Which, for me, raises the question of what traits you think are "better" than others. Do I even want to know?
ben_w 8y ago
Which is smarter, someone with a degree in physics or someone with a degree in biology? Right now, the concepts we have of “intelligence” are not sufficiently rigorous to for a meaningful discussion on interracial differences — how much of “common sense” is culture, for example? How true is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? Test scores for Asian woman can be noticeably modified if you tell the participants it’s “to test if Asians are better than westerners at maths” versus “to test if men are better than women at maths”, how much effect does that observation have on any historical results? That’s not to say “there are no genetic influences on intelligence” — there must be, otherwise bacteria would be as smart as humans — but rather that large scale groups of humans are so close that we don’t have sufficient evidence to support treating them as different.